Automatically-folding trestle or horse



Feb. 14, 1928.

C. E. MARKS AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING TRESTLE 0R HORSE Filed may 25. 1926 2, S11 ts-Sheet 1 1. fgzfi E. 1

Feb. '14, 1928.

' C. E. MARKS AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING TRESTLE OR HORSE 2 Sheets-Shed. 2

Filed May 25, 1926 HI! F Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

uNITEDfS'l"ME S enemas E. mnaxs or HoLLYw'oon, cnmrom'vnt nuronmrroannv ronnrne "rnns'rnn on 110m.

f muse ms Kay 1026. ser ai'xo. mute.

' This invention relates to improvements in trestlesor horses and thelike. :An objectof hiLs vention is toprovide an. improved support which maybe easily and quickly collapsed and which will assume a fiat position when collapsed sothata plurality of the supports can be stackedone above the other very; easily for storage and shipping purposes. f Y

Another object. of. this invention'is to provide a support-in theform or a horse or trestle wherein the supporting beam on being'lifted will automatically cause the complete device to becomecollapsed, enabling it to be easily carried from place to place? A further object of this inve ti -15150 provide: a device, which when in its set-up position will be rigidand, quite strong... A, stilllfurtherobject of this invention is.

' providesior supporting planksior thclike positions at various heights from the so that the level of; the scaffolding'canbe' jeasily and quickly varied for various conditions. i i

Q with the foregoing and other objects in .view whichwill be made manifest intheitollowing detailed description andspecifically pointed out in the, appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an 'illustrative embodiment of the vention, wherein:

f Figure l is a. side f elevation of the im proved horse or trestle in its set-up position. Fig.2 is an end elevation 01? the same, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the; horse or trestle shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is ahorizontal stantially on the line 4-4:.ofFig. 1, 2- M Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,, Y z. Fig. 6 is a, sectional .view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the manner. in which the height .of the support may-be increased,

Fig. 7 is a sideelevat'on of when in its collapsed osition,

Fig. 8 is an end e evation of in collapsed position, and I r Fig. 9-is a perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form of construction. I Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similarreference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved the device the device struction; is as follows;

section taken Y h'orse'or trestle consists of. two pairs of legs,

the legs'beingindicated at 10, 11, 1 2iand 13 respectively. Corresponding legs. of each pair areconnectedtogether as by cross ba'rs,

14. 15, 16 and 1,7. legs of each pair ar e joined together by means ofhinges Which a re formed of. sections of sheet metal, as indicated at l S.

bent-to provide wings or guides20, in which each link is pivota 1y fastenedtothe lower end of, anuprightfll." The other end of the linkis pivotally fastenedl'to one of the legs. @As clearly shownuipon the drawing he upper ends of the f Bolts 19 passthrou'gh the sections of sheet metal l8-and serve to pivotally fasten the legs to'ytheir respective hinges The'low'er portions of the sections .otsheetinetal 18 are at thefn'pper ends of the legsfof each pai there are forrned opposed jfaces24 which abut each other when the legs'ar'e spread into their outermost position. There are also formed small fingers 25uwhich are adapted to enteribetween the cross bars which form the supporting beam'j22. y .The' operation of the above described con- If the supporting beamfQQ :is lifted it-w-jll cause the uprights 21 to-slide upwardly within-the guides 2O,v thus drawing the links23 int'oa more nearly vertical position and cause the legs to. swing toward ea ch other, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. In this manner itwill'beappreciatedthat' it is merely. necessary, 'to lift I thesupporting beam 22 and this {will cause the complete horse. or trestle to collapse. Conversely, if the supporting beam is forced downwardly, it will cause the legs to swing apart andlto.assumea set-upposition. Us'uany if the horse or trestle is merely placed on, a smooth floor, the weight, of thesupporting beam alone issuflicient to cause the legs to slide apart, so that the device will automatically set itself up When in its set-up position the faces 24 abut each other and the fingers 25 enter between the cross bars form-1 ringthe upper supporting. beam. Furthermore. the supportingbeam restsdirectly upon the top faces26. which :are formed on the legs. From this construction it will be noted that when the trestle or horse is in its set-up position, it will be firm and rigid. The links 28 which serve to spread the legs or 'to draw them together also serve to brace them and assist in'making the device very and on the upper end of the tubular memher there is threaded a collar 31 adapted to engage upon the plate 28 to prevent downward movement of the tubular member through the beams22 and 27 in one position. Inthe bottom of the tubular member there is also provideden aperture 32 adapted to receive a'pin 33,. so that the tubular member canbeliftedand the pin inserted,the pin being .engageable upon the plate 29 to limit the downward movement of the tubular member in another position, asclearly shown in Fig. 6. A supporting member 34: is slidable within the tubular member 30 and may carryasuitable bracket 35, on which a plank P may be supported. The supporting member 34 has a plurality of apertures 36 formed therein, each of which is adapted to receive a pin 37, which will engage and restuponthe collar 31, andin this manner the supporting member can be supported on the tu- ,bular member in either of a plurality of positions. From this construction it will be appreciated that the plank P can be supported in a plurality of positions. each of which is at a diiferent height above the floor. If for any reason it shouldtbe desirable to support the plank Pat a height above the floor which is below the beam 22, the plank can be permitted to rest on any of the cross bars 14, 15, 16 or 17, and as these cross bars are at difierent heights, as shown upon the drawing, the plank can be supported in whatever position it is desirable. Suitable braces 38 may be employed to connect the cross bars to the legs and thus assist in forming a rigid substantial horse or trestle. Also, braces 39 may be used to connect the cross bars 27 which forms the lower horizontal beam to the uprights 21.

o It will be readily understood that various modifications of this invention may be made,

such as is illustrated in Fig. 9. In this modification the upper horizontal beam may be formedof a single fiat board 40, thus forming a carpenters bench. and the lower hori zontal beam may be formed in a similar If desired, the lower horizontal beam may be provided with sides 41, form- 'ing a shelf within which tools may be kept.

- be carried from place to place, or a plurality of devices may be stacked one upon the other "very easily, occupylng a minimum amount of space. It will also be noted that the device is veryeasily set up, as it is merely necessary to'allow the lower ends of the legs to rest upon the floor, and usually the weight of the device is sufiicient to cause thel'ejgs to spread and to cause the horse or trestle to automatically assume its set-up position. It will be understood that various changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.' 7 L I claim: 4 I I 1. A device of the class described comprisingtwo pairs ot legs, hinges pivotally connecting'the legs of each together, cross bars connecting the legs of one pair to the corresponding legs ofthe other pair, a pair of cross bars providing a beam having depending uprights, said hinges providing guides between which .the uprights are slidable, and links, each link having one end pivotally connected to an upright and the other pivotally connected to one of the legs of each pair, the legs of each pair having opposed surfaces at their upper ends adapted to contact when the legs of each pair are spread, thereby preventing further spreading, a finger on the 'upper end of each leg, said cross bars being provided with spaced extensionsadapted to rest upon the upper ends of the legs,with the fingers of the legs extending between said spaced extensions to lock the legs extended position.

2. In a trestle or horse, two parallel hori zontal beams arranged one above the other,

relatively thereto in one position, there being an aperture in the tubular member. a

pin receivable therein engageable upon the gageabl e upon the top ofjsaid' tubularmem- I lower beam to prevent downward movement her to prevent downward movement of the of the tubular member in another position, a supporting member relatively to the tubular 10 supporting member slidable within the, tumember-in either of a plurality of positions. 5 bular member,.said supporting; member hav- In testimony whereofI h sig ed my ing a plurality of aperturestherein, and a name to this specification; n pin receivable in any of said apertures en- V I CHARLES E. MARKS. 

